McCain insists he can pull an upset; Obama discusses national security
In New Hampshire, John McCain recounts how state's voters twice gave him surprising primary victories. In Virginia, Barack Obama says next president will be tested because of Bush's 'bad policies.'
Reported from Manchester, N.H. and Richmond, Va. — Republican John McCain, returning to a state that launched his bid for the presidency eight years ago and again this year, appealed to New Hampshire voters today to ignore his sagging poll numbers and put him "across the finish line first."
- » John McCain Latest NewsLatest News on McCain '08 – Find Local News & Media at YellowPages ®.News.YellowPages.com
- » McCain-Palin 2008 ButtonsMcCain-Palin Campaign Buttons, Pins, and GOP Convention 2008 Buttons.ronwade.freeservers.com
- » Edwin Mccain LyricsAll Edwin Mccain Song Lyrics -- #1 Lyric Site On The Net.songlyric-site.com
Citing his upset GOP primary wins here in 2000 and 2008, McCain said, "I can't think of any place I'd rather be than running an underdog campaign in the state of New Hampshire."
McCain's return to a state where he has held more than 200 town hall meetings over the years was stark evidence of the difficulties he faces overall, however. With less than two weeks left before the Nov. 4 election, polls show him trailing opponent Barack Obama by an average of 9 points in New Hampshire and by double digits nationally.
Speaking to a cheering crowd that filled half a hockey rink at St. Anselm College, McCain seemed wistful at times about his last campaign visit to a state where political signs seem to dot every lawn and residents expect to meet every candidate. Despite the near-freezing temperatures, eight young men stood behind him with the letters m-a-v-e-r-i-c-k painted on their bare chests.
"My friends, some of my happiest, happiest memories are here in this great state," McCain said. "We go back a long way, New Hampshire. I've learned a lot over the years from the people of this state. And I know one thing for certain. It doesn't matter what the pundits think or how confident my opponent is. The people of New Hampshire make their own decisions, and more than once, they've ignored the polls and the pundits and brought me across the finish line first."
Obama is spending the day in Virginia, with rallies in Richmond and Leesburg. This morning he met in Richmond with his national security advisors, including former U.N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig and former Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia. Vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, participated by phone.
Biden said over the weekend that Obama, a one-term senator, would be tested in the first six months of his administration by a foreign enemy of the United States. The McCain campaign leapt on the remark, with South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham thanking Biden for reminding voters that "there's never been a candidate for president of the United States more tested than John McCain."
- » John McCain Latest NewsLatest News on McCain '08 – Find Local News & Media at YellowPages ®.News.YellowPages.com
- » McCain-Palin 2008 ButtonsMcCain-Palin Campaign Buttons, Pins, and GOP Convention 2008 Buttons.ronwade.freeservers.com
- » Edwin Mccain LyricsAll Edwin Mccain Song Lyrics -- #1 Lyric Site On The Net.songlyric-site.com
|
|
|
|
